


Girl and Guide

by 46hasu



Series: Linked Universe AU [13]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: AU of an AU, Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Gen, Sheikah Slate, so much stuff to develop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:14:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23955178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/46hasu/pseuds/46hasu
Summary: Written in the live write for the AU server
Relationships: Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Series: Linked Universe AU [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1627771
Kudos: 51





	Girl and Guide

**Author's Note:**

> Written in the live write for the AU server

Link didn't have a mentor to guide him. Neither did the tributes before him. And the tributes before them. Victors from District 12 were rarer than a nice Peacekeeper. 

All he had was a capital trainer who halfheartedly taught him how to set up a fire. He didn't bother to tell the trainer he already knew how to do that. 

There was the victor from District 10 that showed him how to properly use the lance and calmed him during his attacks. It was a small thing but he appreciated it either way. 

He held no resentment when the victor would ignore him in favor of his own district tributes later that day. He did more than he was allowed to. 

Now Link was sitting on the leather sofa biting the insides of his cheeks until they bled.

Link couldn't tell what happened later in specific detail even if you held a gun to his head. 

All he knew was that at one point he was sitting on the leather sofa and the next there was a prick on his arm as the tracker was placed. That's when the panic started to seep in. 

No one expected him to win. Not even he expected himself to win. He was going to die in the arena alone with no one to mourn for him. The capitol had repeatedly told him that he had no family in District 12. Not even a friend. 

He half wanted that to be true just so the sounds of laughter would leave his mind already. A child's laughter.

If the capital was lying (which wouldn't be surprising really), then he might have had a younger sibling. He often wondered what happened to her.

His thoughts were interrupted when the stylist (what was his name?) shoved him into a room and to help him change into his suit. The stylist braided Link's hair so it would stay out of his face and helped him wear the leather bodysuit.

One thing that caught his attention was the little hook on the belt as if something was meant to hang off it. Another thing was the way the jacket ended to his knees, covering the hook out of sight with whatever was supposed to be attached to it. 

When he was done, the stylist gave him a solemn nod and left. No point in wishing luck to Link after all. 

He expected to be alone with his thoughts until the announcement to enter the tube would sound. But instead, the door was reopened again.

Link thought it would be the stylist who forgot his comb or another kit, but it was the blonde capital girl with braids in her hair and red-framed glasses. He was no fashionista but she looked to plain to be a capital girl even if she carried herself like one. She didn’t have any glittery makeup or a shimmering dress that dipped down to the cleavage as most capital people did. All she wore was a navy blue shirt with sleeves that hung past her elbow like drapes. Her skirt was embroidered in golden threads showing off a complicated symbol he couldn’t place. 

"I designed that," she said, pointing to his bodysuit. "What do you think?"

Link didn't say anything. He was pretty sure the designers for the suits didn't drop by for a conversation with the Tributes. If she was expecting an answer, she didn't show it. Instead, she marched toward him and lifted the end of his jacket up like a skirt. 

An indignant yelp escaped him as he attempted to back away but her grip was strong.

"Calm down," she muttered. "I am not trying to do anything weird if that's what you're scared of." 

He bit back his scream and looked down to find her attaching a slate to the hook of his belt. There was an audible click when the slate was placed and he knew that the slate had no way of being removed by accident. 

"If this does work, it could be the key to you surviving this game," she said, her voice lowered. "But do not use it near the cameras if you could help it." 

Link wanted to unhook the thing and shoved it back in her hands. It could be a bomb set to explode for all he knew. "I don't trust you," he whispered to her. 

That was the first thing he said since the Reaping. Not even the interviewer got a word out of him. 

"I figured," she said, not offended but expecting. "But like it or not, you need to listen to me if you want to survive."

"Prove it," he said. He couldn't figure out if it was his nerves or the girl's tone that made him feel so bold. "Prove that I can trust you."

The girl set her lips in a thin line, internally debating. 

"Two minutes," the announcer called. "Tributes, get ready."

The announcement sent a new flood of panic through him. And the girl seemed to have made up her mind. 

"In the arena, there are robots specifically designed to be indestructible," she murmured. "I can tell you how you can destroy them so you can survive. If I am right then you can use this slate however you want. If not, you can throw it away and pretend this never happened."

Link gave her a disbelieving look. "If they are designed to be indestructible then how could you know I can destroy them?" 

"Because nothing is truly indestructible," she said with a small smile. "Listen closely because I will only say this once." 

He listened to her in silence. When she explained, his eyes widened in further than he thought was possible. 

"No," he shook his head. "No, absolutely not. You're insane."

"Perhaps," she said with a frown. "But you either die from this or die from another Tribute." 

He opened his mouth to argue back but was interrupted by a cheery announcement, "Tributes, please step into the ring."

"Go," the girl pushed him to the cylinder tube. "And remember, don't hesitate."

When he stepped into the tube, he already felt short of breath. He turned back to find the girl reaching for the door.

"Wait," he called to her. He didn't have time to ask all his questions but still. "What is your name?"

The girl looked back at him. "Call me Flora."

He carved the name to his brain. "I'll remember that."

Flora gave him a sad smile. "We'll see."

The tube lifted him up before he could say anything else.

* * *

It wasn't that he didn't trust Flora. In fact, he weirdly wanted to trust her. Even if she was a little rude to him. 

But a logical side of him knew the dangers of trusting a person from the capital. No matter how pretty she was. 

The first thing he did when the game started was grabbing the nearest bag (it turned out to be empty) and run away from the bloodbath. True to Flora's word, there was a robot with a laser pointing at the Tributes some distance away from the cornucopia. 

He ended up running the other direction when he heard the beep.

A day into the game and he was surprised that he was still alive. Though he knew that wouldn't last long.

He hissed in pain from the sudden movement in his right wrist. Careers were chasing him down and he was cornered with a Guardian. He wanted to laugh at his choices. 

He hadn't used the slate yet but if Flora was being honest as she claimed then perhaps there was something that could help him.

Link reached for the slate only to pull back. He still didn't know if Flora could be trusted. 

He peeked over the old stone structure to the Guardian spinning its head around. A rusty shield he stole from a District 5 kid was next to him.

_ "You either die from this or die from another Tribute." _

He scowled at the Guardian and stood up with his shield ready.  _ Let this work _ , he prayed to the deities. 

There was a beep and the Guardian was pointing its laser at him. There was the sound of footsteps followed by shocked shouting. Looks like the careers found him. Not hard considering he was standing out in the open like an idiot. 

He grits his teeth and focused on the Guardian. The careers would be too shocked and terrified by the Guardian to approach him. There were more beeps as the Guardian continued to aim at him. Then there was the low pitched beep that Flora warned him of.

There was a laser of light coming to him and he felt an impact on his shield. 

Time slowed and the world blurred as he angled the rusty shield away from his body. 

And the weight was gone. 

The world came back to focus and he felt the heat from where the careers were standing. 

He looked over to find nothing but fire and ash where the careers were standing. Few had survived and they were running away. The smell of burnt flesh made him want to gag but the beep stole his attention. 

He turned back to the Guardian still aiming at him and he angled his shield towards it.

* * *

Link stashed himself away in a cave and sighed. 

He scanned the walls for a hidden camera and found none. Hesitantly, he reached toward the slate and flicked it on like he saw the capital people do. 

There was a bit of distrust towards Flora but after the Guardian, he saw no other reason to hold off on their deal. 

The screen came to life and he was presented with little icons and descriptions. There was one for a map, inventory, and pictures. 

He clicked on the map and found a detailed layout of the arena. It matched with the one he mentally made himself so he deemed it accurate. He studied it until his back started to ache. 

He exited the map after memorizing where the nearest river was and clicked on the inventory icon. He was greeted with more icons. These ones had food, medicine, and few weapons.

He longingly stared at the items before clicking on the medicine icon. Perhaps it was a checklist for what he needed or where he could find it. 

Instead, a wisp of blue lights appeared on the screen and there was the bottle medicine like the one in the picture. He gaped at it and took an experimental sniff of the bottle. 

After determining it was safe, he tipped the bottle back and drank the whole thing. His wrist was immediately pain-free and he saw the scars close itself. It was a little gruesome sight but fascinating all the same.

After that, he clicked on the picture icon, mostly out of curiosity, and found lines of pictures of various buildings. Most he could identify as capital while the others he couldn't quite place. 

He swiped through the images until he saw a familiar face. Or his face to be more precise. 

His scars were absent and he was smiling at the camera with a man, a woman and a little girl in his arms. 

There was something so familiar about them. Were they his family? 

He looked at the little girl and he somehow knew that her face matched with the laughter that would often haunt his dreams.

A choked sob escaped and he felt his face grow wet. He frowned, thinking it was an injury he missed and reached his hand to the wet area. His hand came away without blood but rather tears. His eyesight blurred as he sobbed again.

He had no reason to cry right now, as unfortunate as his situation was. But he was still sobbing all the same. 

He missed them, he realized. He missed those familiar strangers in the picture. 

He flipped through the album hoping to see more pictures of them but found none to his disappointment. 

With a sigh, he exited the album and pondered.

Who was Flora? Why was she helping him?

Did she know who these people were?

A resolve came to him as he straightened his back. He would find her and ask. But first, he had to survive the game. 

No. He will survive this. 

He muttered a brief thank you to Flora for giving him hope and motive to keep fighting. 

He grabbed the slate with new resolve and his finger accidentally slid across the screen.

New icons popped up with the title calling them "Runes."

He saw one for a magnet, a lock, ice, and two bombs. Link smirked at the icons. 

It looks like he will be surviving this after all.

**Author's Note:**

> comments and feedback are appreciated!


End file.
